


Quiescent

by kira892



Category: DCU, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-15
Updated: 2015-03-15
Packaged: 2018-03-17 21:52:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3545072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kira892/pseuds/kira892
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wally wakes up to an empty bed. </p><p>He mourns the absence of warmth at his back and the familiar comfort of heavy, sleep-slack limbs draped over and around him before his brain processes the soft whisper of music drifting in from the left, in the direction of his desk. He cracks his eyes open and takes a moment to stare because the sight that greets him is certainly one to be appreciated.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Quiescent

Wally wakes up to an empty bed.

 

He mourns the absence of warmth at his back and the familiar comfort of heavy, sleep-slack limbs draped over and around him before his brain processes the soft whisper of music drifting in from the left, in the direction of his desk. He cracks his eyes open and takes a moment to stare because the sight that greets him is certainly one to be appreciated.

 

Dick is curled up on his second hand computer chair, one hand cradling a cup of coffee under his chin while the other rested on the trackpad of Wally’s laptop, scrolling through something on the screen. His hair is getting ridiculously long and the shaggiest bits of it have been shoved into a tiny ponytail at the nape of his neck, leaving the rest to fall in messy black waves over his face. He doesn’t seem to be wearing anything except for a faded blanket pooled haphazardly over his lap and spilling over the arm rests of the chair.

 

With all that skin bared, it’s only to easy to spot the dark love bites Wally left on him last night, even in the dark gloom of the early morning. There are three scattered in a loose triangle on his shoulder and one on the leg that Dick has propped up on the chair and folded against his chest, just above the knee. Wally couldn’t help the small smile and the quick jolt of heat that runs through him at the sight of it, remembering how he sucked the mark there while Dick arched and writhed underneath him, legs slung over Wally’s shoulders and hands clutching at the headboard.

 

He makes a soft, sleepy noise to get Dick’s attention. “Mm-what’re you doing?”

 

Dick clicks on something and the music stops. “Stealing stuff from your iTunes library.” He says, taking a sip of his coffee and looking at Wally over the rim of his mug.

 

Wally makes a vaguely interested noise and yawns, arms sliding out from under the covers to stretch above his head. He scrubs a hand over his face as he sits up and squints sleepily at Dick when he’s done.

 

“You still naked under there?”

 

He gets an arched brow in response. Dick lowers the coffee mug from his lips to smirk at him. “Why do you ask?”

 

“Just wondering if I have to burn that chair later.”

 

The smirk widens and Dick tugs away the blankets with his free hand. Wally is only a little bit disappointed to see that Dick is wearing boxers, only a little because they’re _his_ boxers.

 

“These are really comfy by the way, where’d you get them?” Dick asks, fiddling with the Hogwarts crest patch sewn onto the lower left leg

 

“Why do you need to know? I’m pretty sure Alfred still sends you a box of silk blend boxer briefs every Christmas.”

 

“You got them from hot topic didn’t you?”

 

“I refuse to divulge that information.”

 

Dick gestures to him with his mug, eyebrows lifting. “Congratulations on being able to use that word at,” he glances at the laptop screen. “5:50 AM in the morning.”

 

Wally grunts in response and slides out of bed, not missing the way Dick’s eyes track him as he pads across the room completely naked and rummages in his drawer for a clean pair of pants.

 

“And I got the boxers from thinkgeek just so you know. I’m offended you think I shop at the same place your brother does.”

 

“Which one?”

 

Wally leans his hip against the drawer and pauses to think. “All of them.”

 

Dick laughs at that, bright and loud. He sets his coffee down and gets out of the chair, dragging the blanket with him. He stops a little less than a step away from Wally, leaning into his space and smiling in a way that makes him want to push Dick into the nearest flat surface.

 

“Anyway, now that you’re awake, you can make me breakfast.” Dick says, sliding the blanket up Wally's shoulders and using it to pull him even closer.

 

“What's in it for me?” Wally murmurs, hands coming up to rest on Dick's waist, thumbs stroking at the warm skin there.

 

“I'll let you eat half of it.”

 

“Haha nice try. There's still some cereal in the cupboard above the stove.”

 

“I see how it is. You can buy your own dinner tonight.”

 

“Don't need to. I can cook.”

 

“Jerk”

 

Wally kisses him in response because he's still feeling all loose and dopey from sleep, Dick's mouth is even more tempting this close and really he's already gone way too long without having those smirking lips against his.

 

Dick pulls away with a grimace and tugs up part of the blanket to cover the lower half of his face.

 

“Your breath smells like a backed up sink.”

 

“You sure do know how to charm a lady.” Wally says before quickly and deliberately darting in close to breathe out at Dick's face. He makes an outraged noise of disgust and Wally barely manages to duck out of the way of a smack, grinning as he sidesteps his boyfriend and runs out of the room.

 

He does end up making Dick breakfast, mostly because Dick chases him to the kitchen, vaults over a chair and jumps on his back, putting Wally in a headlock until he cries mercy. After lots of grumbling and a pointed reminder that Dick is no longer a teeny tiny 13 year old and pulling that shit actually puts Wally in danger of a broken spine now, he makes a heaping pile of toast and bacon for himself and a cheese omelette drizzled with pancake syrup for Dick because clearly even without any human capabilities, he's still a freak of nature.

 

“Anyone ever told you that you eat like a pregnant woman sometimes?”

 

Wally asks, watching as Dick cuts up his eggs with his fork. He looks Wally straight in the eye as he stabs a piece and puts it in his mouth.

 

“Only one person. The guy who dips deep fried pickles in chocolate ice cream.”

 

Wally gives him a defensive look. “What? It's good!”

 

“U huh, sure Jan.”

 

“How many times have I told you? It doesn't matter how much you go around the internet, Tim won't ever think you're cool.” Wally says, lifting a slice of toast. Dick reaches across the table and smacks it out of his hand before it makes it to his mouth.

 

“Heyyy!”

 

Dick snatches up the fallen toast and stuffs it in his own mouth, grinning around it when Wally pouts at him, blue eyes positively twinkling with mischief. Wally pauses because for a second Dick looks like the roguish, big-eared ball of energy wrapped up in red, black and yellow again, the one that was a lot more optimistic and less jaded. Wally feels evenly wistful and fond at the thought, remembering how the change gradually evenly happened after every tragedy. First Jason and then Babs. It feels like small parts of whatever it is that made Dick so full of life and energy got ripped away, one followed Jason to the ground and didn't come back even after he did and the other locked itself up in the glass case with the Batgirl uniform Barbara would never wear again.

 

Something about his thoughts must show on his face because Dick's expression dims.

 

“Are you still visiting the manor today?” Wally asks before Dick could say anything.

 

He sees Dick's hesitation to let it slide in the way his eyes squint ever so slightly, the flat, solid line of his mouth but after a moment, his features smooth themselves out and he shrugs. “Kinda have to. It's Damian's birthday. The party Alfred is forcing Bruce to throw would most likely be painful for everyone involved but I'm pretty sure Alfred would quickly and efficiently ruin my life if I don't show.”

 

Wally feels his eyebrows lift and he nods as if Dick just shared a profound truth of life. Which he kind of did, no matter how old he got (or Alfred got for that matter) Wally is pretty sure he would always find the Wayne family butler easily the most terrifying out of the entire family.

 

“Are you patrolling after?” he asks as Dick picks up his fork and spears the last bit of egg on his plate.

 

“Mmhmm.” Dick affirms, putting the egg in his mouth and chewing. “Promised Damian we'd do it together as soon as Alfred lets us go.”

 

Wally does some calculating in his head. That probably means Dick would be gone for the entire day and would still be out prowling rooftops in uniform until at least 5 in the morning.

 

“Okay. Pass on my birthday wishes to the littlest pup and fire off a text before you go on patrol just to let me know you're whole and alive.”

 

Dick stands up and starts gathering their plates. “Will do,” he says, stacking plates, silverware and glasses into a pile. Wally follows him to the sink and wraps arms around him from behind, resting his chin on one broad shoulder. Dick leans into him easily and Wally bites back a smile, pressing his lips against one of the hickeys he made.

 

“You're sleeping here again tonight right?”

 

Dick hums thoughtfully as he dumps the stack into the sink with the stuff Wally used to make breakfast. “Nah, I think I'll stay with the other woman.”

 

Wally makes a half-hearted noise of offense and nuzzles against Dick's jaw. “Why?” She got a bigger rack than me?”

 

“Little bit yeah,” Dick murmurs absently, turning his head and catching Wally's mouth in a slow, lazy kiss. Time slows the way it tends to do whenever Dick is concerned and Wally indulges in it, luxuriates in the soft press of lips, the quiet, subtle noises of the house in the morning and the hot, solid familiarity of Dick's body against his. They're all small, simple things but standing here, kissing Dick while the gray of the early morning slowly creeps in through the windows is making something insistent and achey grow in his chest, like the memory, the perfection of this one stupidly simple moment is searing itself into his core.

 

“Alright fine, go, get the hell out of my house. I'm keeping it and the kid.” Wally says as he pulls away, giving Dick's waist a pat.

 

Dick snorts, one corner of his mouth curling upward infinitesimally. “I'm pretty sure if Brucely could choose, he'd definitely go with me.”

 

And he probably would, the damn traitor adored Dick and would probably be whining and sulking around the house from the moment he realizes the black hair human who gives him too much food and scratches isn't around to the second Dick walks through the door again.

 

“Out. I'm not running you to the zeta tube, I have sleep and shows to catch up on.”

 

Dick just keeps smirking at him. “I'm going, I'm going...as soon as you let go of me.”

 

“I changed my mind, you can stay for five more minutes.” Wally says, putting his chin back on Dick's shoulder and flattening his palms against the perfect, cobblestone shapes of Dick's abs.

 

Dick chuckles, low and short before gently grasping Wally's wrists and pulling them away. He kisses the pout off of Wally's lips and flicks him on the forehead. “I'll call you later.” he says, lightly touching Wally's arm. Wally grasps his wrist.

 

“You better.”

 

Dick gives him a salute with his free hand and turns to walk back into the room to get changed. Wally keeps his fingers around his wrist, letting it slowly slip out of his grip as Dick moves away. He curls his fingers a bit when Dick's palm slides over them and smiles when he feels the tiny, answering pressure of Dick's own fingers curling to meet his in the last second so that they hook together briefly before being tugged apart.

 

 

Wally really does need to be catching up on his sleep. He's been pulling all-nighters at STAR labs all week, and so the first thing he does after Dick leaves is go right back to bed. He sleeps for about three hours and lounges around in bed drifting on and off for another 30 minutes. By the time he finally decides to get up and really start his day, it's already noon so he makes himself some lunch and settles down in the living room with his food and laptop to eat while catching up on his shows.

 

At around 1, Bart calls and asks him if he's busy and if he could come over.

 

“Shouldn't you be in school?”

 

“Yes. So?”

 

Wally lets his silence speak for him. He figures long term exposure to The Authoritative Silence of Disapproval that he constantly got from Dick _and_ Batman who he inherited it from in it's precise, terrifying entirety has allowed him to do it to someone much younger and less exposed to it than him, though considering it's Bart that last part might not be strictly accurate.

 

“I built a time machine at 12, I'm pretty sure I could skip an entire grade, or three.” There's something in his voice as he says it and in the small pause that he makes afterward that makes Wally pause.

 

He frowns. “Everything okay?”

 

There's the barest hesitation before Bart answers but it's enough. “Uhh, yeah, everything's great! Hunky dory, just peachy, I'm just you know-”

 

“Bart. What's up?”

 

Bart sighs and Wally doesn't like the sound of it. “People don't give you nearly enough credit. You're really perceptive Wally, I like that about you.”

 

“Come over. But if you get found out and Jay, Joan or Uncle B asks, I had nothing to do with it you hear me?”

 

Bart hangs up the second the words are out of Wally's mouth and shows up at his door 10 minutes later. Wally makes it a point to walk to the door at a normal pace when the doorbell starts ringing insistently and his eyebrows shoot up to his hairline when he opens the door to find not just one but two of his cousins at the door.

 

His two year old first cousin (none removed) gurgles and cries “Wally!” up at him from where he was strapped on Bart's chest and Wally points at him as he gives Bart an incredulous look. “Please tell me you're not skipping school because you kidnapped your dad. He doesn't know any better but dude, you're father would be _so_ not cool with this.”

 

Bart looks offended. “No! It's take a kid to school day, Grandma and Grandpa signed a form and everything. The creative writing classes do it every year as a part of the children's stories unit.”

 

Wally squints at him. “Okay but considering you aren't in school and he's still with you I'm pretty sure this still counts as kidnapping and did you _run_ with him here, what the hell Bart??”

 

Bart gives him a look like he's not terribly bright. “Who do you think I got my powers from?”

 

“He's two years old!”

 

“So? Dad used to do it with me all the time when I was his age.” Bart says grabbing Don's hands and raising them above his head. The toddler giggles as if he's agreeing with his future son. Wally rolls his eyes and steps aside gesturing Bart inside with a quick jerk of his head.

 

“Just get in here you little criminal.”

 

“Thanks!” Bart says obnoxiously, stepping past him into the house. “Got any food?”

 

Bart acts normal for a while, he settles down on the couch and steadily plows through the food Wally hasn't eaten yet, chattering at him about nothing and everything and taking breaks in between to ask Wally if whatever he's about to stuff into his mouth is okay to feed babies before ripping off a bit and feeding it to Don. He continues like this for about 15 minutes until he starts fidgeting, eyes going shifty.

 

“Want to tell me why you're here now?”

 

Wally says not unkindly, nudging his knee against Bart's in encouragement. Don is sitting on Bart's lap, watching Brucely curiously. The pitbull had trotted into the room a few minutes after Bart showed up and is now sitting on the floor, tail wagging, watching Don back just as curiously. Bart fiddles with Don's hair, focusing on it like it's the most fascinating thing in the room.

 

“Nightwing isn't here today is he?” Bart suddenly asks, looking around as if Dick might walk into the living room any second.

 

“No.” Wally says a little slowly, watching Bart carefully. “Did something happen with him? Is he mad at the team? Or just you in particular?”

 

“No, he's not mad at me or the team. As far as I know.” Bart says. He's trying to braid Don's hair now and he's biting at his lip. Whatever it is that's bugging him, Wally could see that it's just about ready to burst right out of him.

 

“But I'm guessing whatever's bothering you still has something to do with Dick.”

 

Bart shrugs and its at that moment that Brucely decides he's stared enough at the tiny human on Bart's lap and now is the time to sniff and prod and lick at it. He barks, sniffing at Don's feet. The toddler squeals in delight and starts trying to squirm off of Bart's lap, making grabby hands at Brucely. Bart lets him go before he could accidentally hurt himself and without his baby father in his lap, he now has nothing to fidget with. He tries at first, twisting his fingers together, cracking his knuckles, picking at his nails. Then finally,

 

“Howdoyoudealwithbeinginaromanticsituationwithabat?NotthatI'minaromanticsituationwithabatstrictlyspeakingImeansortofIguess?Butit'skindof-Imean-.”

 

“Woah hold up- did you, what did you just say??”

 

Bart glances quickly at him and then away just as fast. “You know what I said.”

 

And Wally does, or he thinks he does. He knows what he _heard_ he just isn't sure if the words means what they sound like. He shakes his head in disbelief, letting it sink in.

 

“Are you talking about a batgirl or a bird?”

 

Bart is still resolutely not looking at him. “Bird.”

 

“Oh thank god. Though you _better_ be talking about Tim. The other two are too old and too young for you.”

 

“You know technically every single person on the team is at least 40 years older than me.”

 

Wally ignores that and sidles closer to Bart, nudging him with an elbow. “Hey kid, I know you wear my uniform now but stop copying everything I do, if I find out you're dating Roy next I swear to God.”

 

Bart looks at him, his brows a furrowed line of confusion over his eyes. “That's it? That's your reaction to the situation?”

 

Wally shrugs. “I can't really blame you, at the very least, he's easy on the eyes. Though I do find it kind of weird that Kid Flash is romantically involved with a Robin, you know, again. And if you mean I'm being incredibly relaxed about you basically coming out to me well, a) in case you forgot, I'm currently dating a dude and b) no offense but your entire relationship with Blue Beetle kinda makes it doubtful that you're straight. That said, I would've sworn something would happen between you and him first.”

 

Back snaps right back to avoiding his eyes. He shrugs, a sharp sudden jerk of the shoulders that betrays a story underneath it. Wally doesn't ask though, partly because teenage romance, ugh no. He dealt with that shit first hand and he doesn't want to deal with it this soon when he's barely past being one himself. And mostly because Bart would tell him when he's ready and Wally should try to coax it out of him not a moment before then, because going by the subtle way his expression darkens at the mention of Jaime, it's probably not something Wally could smile and tease him about.

 

“Well like I said, I'm not technically “Romantically” involved with him.” Bart says, enunciating the word carefully and making air quotes around it with his fingers.

 

Wally squints at him sternly. “And by that you mean?”

 

Bart stares down in front of him where Brucely is being patted and squeezed by Don who stood, barely taller than he is, babbling and grinning at him like he was the best thing he's seen all week. Which he probably is, children are really easy to please.

 

“Well, you know, romanticinvolvesfeelings.”

 

Wally's eyes narrow futher. “This better not be going where I think it's going.”

 

Bart's expression slowly twists into something that makes Wally think he wouldn't like whatever is about to come out of his mouth next.

 

“Wellit'snotlikewedidthefullsex _”_ Bart says in a rushed whisper that was almost too fast even for him to understand.

 

“ **Bart**!”

 

“What?”

 

“Ohmygod!”

 

“Like I said, It'snotlike-”

 

“STOP, don't say it again, oh my GOD. You're like, 12!”

 

“I'm almost 17, thanks.”

 

“You should be grounded!”

 

“And how old were you when you first started fooling around with people?” Bart asks, crossing his arms defensively. His cheeks are very quickly turning red.

 

Older than Bart is, though not for a lack of trying that's for sure. Wally decidedly doesn't mention this.

 

“Not the point, just ughh, Jesus.” This is so not how he pictured his day going. At some point in the next twenty four hours he's going to suddenly remember that his _barely legal_ cousin from the future is having casual sex with his boyfriend's brother and he's going to run into the nearest wall headfirst or throw something out the window. He was starting to regret letting Bart come over.

 

“Wait-....If feelings aren't involved like you said they shouldn't be, I'm guessing you wouldn't be here,” Wally realizes out loud.

 

Bart doesn't look away this time, he stares at Wally straight on with a tiny, rueful smile.

 

“Perceptive.” he says much like he did earlier.

 

“I'm guessing only one of you has feelings that shouldn't be there.”

 

“You guess right.”

 

“Is that you or him?” Wally asks softly.

 

“Well you've gotten everything right so far, what's your guess on that one?” Bart says with a heavy sigh. He runs a hand over his hair. “I didn't mean to, it just kinda happened, like...Last week he got thrown through a wall, cracked 3 ribs and got a concussion and I got so scared for a second I honestly thought I was going to puke. Yesterday, he was talking to Cassie, she was asking him if it's true that he and Steph might get back together and I know she was just teasing but still.” Bart pauses to hug a pillow to his chest, gaze drifting forward and going unfocused as he goes deeper into his thoughts.

 

“I've been avoiding him. Because just _looking_ at him is awful. He texted me an hour ago, saying that he'll be at my school because of this cross-school thingie that Gotham academy was holding and I just ran away because I knew that Tam fox was going to be with him and I knew that if I saw them together, I'll probably do something really stupid, say things to him that I have no right to say and just ruin everything forever. Not that I can keep that from happening. Tim's not stupid, he has to have noticed something is up by now and everything is just” Bart shoves the pillow against his face and smothers a loud, frustrated groan in it.

 

“Why him?? Why _me??_ Yeah he's a great guy, he's nice and dorky and smart and he's a _great_ friend.” Just like his reaction to the mention of Jaime, there's a story lurking behind the way Bart speaks about Tim but before Wally could think about it, Bart is talking again.

 

“-- but he's you know, _Tim._ He's a bat. I don't think relationships are really his thing. Especially not with someone like me, I KNOW that like I'm sure everyone knows that if you ever ask them what they would think of him and me being together that way but I still can't stop myself and its messing me up.”

 

Bart looks at Wally then, green eyes huge and lost because Bart has spent most of his life surviving an apocalypse and then pouring all of himself into going back and making sure it never happens in the first place that even now, 3 years later, normal things like relationships and feelings have him completely lost at sea. The thought makes a protective wave of brotherly affection wash over Wally. He reaches out to put a hand on Bart's knee. Bart puts one of his own over it.

 

“Was it, did you ever have that with Nightwing? Did you ever think it was _the worst_ idea to be involved with him and you should stop whatever it is that makes you feel terrified and angry and happy at the same time when he looks at you or talks to you?”

 

 _Yes. A lot._ Wally thinks. He's one of the few people on earth who knows Dick almost as much as he knows himself. He's watched Dick grow and get into other relationships and Wally _knew_ right away; all the compromises they might have to make, the disagreements they could have. It's what occupied most of his thoughts soon after he realized that he actually had romantic feelings for Dick. And like Bart said, it was  _awful._ _  
_

“Once or twice yes.” he lies.

 

 

“But here you are.”

 

 

“But here I am.”

 

The look that crosses Bart's face at that is not happy in the least. “Because he feels the same way about you.”

 

It's a simple thing and a very easy jump to make but still, hearing Bart nail the truth right in the head makes something jerk in Wally's chest. “Are you absolutely sure that Tim doesn't? About you I mean.”

 

For a second it looks like Bart isn't so sure but then he nods decisively. “It's one of the first things we talked about.” He cuts himself off with a snort. “Actually probably the _only_ thing we talked about, before we did anything. He wanted it to be perfectly clear where we stood, where we're going to stay no matter what.”

 

“Have you tried talking to him about this?”

 

Bart shakes his head.

 

“Well kid, I'm not sure what to tell you. You kind of dug yourself into a hole with this one.”

 

Bart snorts. “Really helpful thanks.”

 

Don, at that point decides that he's had his fill of playing with Brucely and now wants his future son's undivided attention. Wally watches as Bart smiles, nods and invents a whole conversation out of the random jumble of words and word-like noises that pour out of Don's mouth in an enthusiastic torrent, grasping the toddler's tiny hands and absently playing with them while he speaks. Don is barely past being a baby and already he and Bart look _so alike_. In about two more years, after Bart shoots up several more inches in height and gets wider in the shoulders like Wally did, people would probably start thinking Don was Bart's son if they didn't know any better. Bart tosses the pillow aside to make room for Don when the toddler climbs back into his lap. He seems to be dishing out a monologue about dogs in baby speak. Bart nods and agrees whole heartedly with whatever he's saying before turning back to Wally.

 

“I don't really have a point of reference since I haven't been here that long and dating isn't exactly a thing where I'm from but I used to think that having feelings for somebody, or even thinking that you do isn't supposed to be you know, like this.”

 

Wally gives him a sympathetic pat to the shoulder. “Tell me about it. Life is much more complicated than the books and movies make it out to be.”

 

“It sucks.”

 

“That it does.”

 

Wally licks his lips, thinking carefully about his next words. He'd have liked to think he's about to dish out some truly inspirational brotherly wisdom but before he could get a word out, his phone starts ringing with [Dick's ringtone,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRjFeyig0zE&t=227) loud and obnoxious from all the way in his room. It's so loud that even Don and brucely turn their heads in the direction of the sound. Wally zips into his room at superspeed and has a quick conversation with Dick about whether or not he'll mind it if Dick comes home with a fridgeful of leftovers because Alfred did the inevitable and is cooking up a feast for Damian's tiny party. (The answer is of course yes, what kind of lunatic would turn down that much food from Wayne Manor?)

 

“Yeah. Okay, love you bye.” Wally mumbles before hanging up. When he zips back to the living room Bart looks at him with eyebrows arched high.

 

“I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that was Dick.”

 

Wally shrugs, reaching for the remote on the coffee table and turning on the TV.

 

“Does he know that's your ringtone for him?”

 

“Maybe.”

 

“Does he have a dumb ringtone for you too?”

 

“It's entirely possible.”

 

Bart rolls his eyes at his answer, wrapping his arms around Don and resting his chin on top of his head.

 

“Dad if this is what a relationship looks like, I don't think I want it.”

 

Wally shoves Bart's shoulder. Bart uses the momentum to spring back and flop into Wally's shoulder, knocking him sideways into the arm of the sofa.

 

“Hey!” Wally cries the same time Don squeals “Again! Do again!”

 

Bart does and when he crashes into Wally's side this time, Wally turns and wraps an arm around his neck, ruffling his hair as much as he could while reaching over with his other hand to do the same to Don. Father and future son both giggle at the playful rough housing, pulling a smile from Wally who releases both with a pinch to the nose.

 

Bart remains glued to his side, head resting on his shoulder. After a second, Wally rests his head against his.

 

They end up watching a bunch of movies and eating their way through half of Wally's pantry because honestly that was the only thing their afternoon is missing and also none of them needed any excuse to eat while doing nothing. Bart runs back to school a quarter til the final bell rings and Wally sends him off with some light snacks and a juice box for Don.

 

After they're gone, Wally deliberates then picks up his phone to send Dick a text.

 

_Have u talked to Tim lately?_

 

Dick doesn't answer until a few hours later right around the time his shift finishes at the station.

 

_Yeah why? Something in particular I need to be talking to him about?_

 

_Maybe._

 

Wally leaves it at that, knowing full well that its more than Dick would need to find everything out on his own. He moves to his room and curls up against the headboard with his laptop, pausing after he wakes it up and his desktop background greets him. It's a picture of the two of them at a photo booth taken several years ago, shortly before the team came to be. They were both in their civvies and Dick was without shades, as this was during a point where Wally already knew most things about the boy behind Robin.

 

The flashbulb memory of that day hits Wally like a punch, making him recall the exact moment he realized that Dick is kind of really pretty (objectively speaking of course, or so he firmly and quickly told himself.) They were just walking side by side at the mall, idly sipping smoothies and talking about whatever random topic came to mind and Wally had looked over and Dick was just there, yeah his ears were still a bit too big but next to the high cheekbones, the thin brows and the big blue eyes underneath them they were all too easy to ignore, especially with the bright afternoon light from the sky roof shining down on them and doing Dick all sorts of favors. Wally remembers thinking in that moment that Dick would most likely grow up to be _really_ good looking, and subsequently thinking “ _Did I seriously just think that about Robin? ew_.”

 

He smiles to himself and shakes his head, reaching for his phone again to send Dick another text.

 

_Occasionally I remembr I wsn't dating u and I rlly have to wonder how we got from point A to point B._

 

The reply is almost instantaneous.

 

_More than occasionally I wonder how and why we remain at point B._

 

_Fuck u jerk_

 

_You already did last night, next time it's my turn._

 

That gets a smile and an eyeroll out of Wally. He lets Dick keep the last word and make of that what he will. The rest of his day passes by slowly. Wally spends most of it re-watching some old favorites from his movie collection and the rest of it fucking around on the internet.

 

Dick does send him a text to let him know he's going on patrol as promised. The text comes when he's in the bathroom, brushing his teeth and getting ready for bed so he doesn't see it right away.

 

_Going out with the other woman now, don't wait up._

 

Wally snorts, grinning a little as he gets under the covers, settling down on Dick's side of the bed like he always does whenever he's not sleeping over.

 

_K, say hi for me._

 

Wally hits send and puts the phone on the bedside table, turning off the lights afterward and getting comfortable under the covers. He just closes his eyes when his phone buzzes again. Wally lifts his head curiously and reaches for it again. A smile immediately spreads across his face, wide and soft when he sees that Dick has sent him a selfie over snapchat.

 

 _Goodnight Walls_  is scribbled over it in Dick's messy handwriting and _stay on your side of the bed_ was typed in white under it. Wally turns his lamp back on and takes a selfie of himself lying down, making sure it's clear which side of the bed he's on.

 

 _Make me_ he types over it and hits send. He doesn't wait for a reply, just shuts off the lights and settles down for sleep again.

 

He wakes up at around dawn going by the weak gray light seeping into the room. The weight on his middle, which caused his sudden rude departure from the land of peaceful sleep, shifts when he groans in protest and Wally's nose wrinkles at the hand that runs itself through his hair.

 

“I told you to stay on your side.” comes the soft, tired voice.

 

Wally doesn't even miss a beat because even barely conscious, he knows the voice, knows the hand in his hair and the body against his.

 

“Mrgh. I told you to make me.”

 

He feels more than hears Dick's soft chuckle. “I would but it probably wouldn't be a good idea.”

 

Wally cracks his eyes open and squints at Dick's face in the dark. He's lying on his side and Dick is tucked in the cradle of his front, facing him and leaning against Wally's stomach. Wally twists a little, just enough to easily reach over and put a hand to Dick's face. Dick leans into the touch and Wally instinctively strokes a thumb over his cheek, frowning as he imagines unseen scratches and bruises on the skin he's touching.

 

“You okay?” he asks.

 

Dick nods against his hand and reaches up to place his own over it, tracing the same soothing back and forth tracks on the back of Wally's hand as the ones Wally's currently making against his cheek. “Yeah. Just a bit battered and bruised, nothing out of the ordinary. It's okay though, Alfred iced and taped up my ribs before I left, I just have to take it easy for a little bit.”

 

Wally's frown doesn't ease up. He puts his other hand against Dick's shoulder and begins to sit up, slowly so he doesn't jostle Dick. They both squint when Wally turns the light on. He rubs a hand over his face several times to chase the sleep out of his eyes and when he opens them again, Wally is fully alert. He takes in the sight of Dick; still half in uniform. The top of half of the Nightwing suit is nowhere to be seen. There's KT tape on his right side, around his ribs like he said but other than that and a few bruises, he's mostly unscathed. A shallow cut draws a thin but long red line across one cheek and Wally traces a finger softly over it.

 

“I'm okay.” Dick murmurs, as if he hears everything Wally is thinking, all his concerns, all his objections and all the arguments they've had plenty of times before replaying themselves in his head.

 

“Yeah you said that.” Wally murmurs back. He sighs and Dick leans forward to lean his forehead against his comfortingly.

 

Dick _is_ mostly okay. Wally tries not to think about all the times he wasn't, when he came home bloody and broken, when he obviously needs to be sleeping at the manor under Alfred's watchful eye. He won't say anything tonight, instead he'll just save the words for another time when Dick desperately needs another round of convincing to leave the life behind like Wally did.

 

He goes in for a kiss, close-mouthed, short and chaste. “I thought you were going to sleep at the Manor tonight.”

 

Dick shrugs. “I think they've all had enough of me for one day. And,” His hands slip down, finding the hem of the shirt Wally's wearing and sliding up under it, rucking it up a little.

 

“I knew I left behind my favorite sleeping shirt.”

 

Wally presses a smirking kiss into Dick's cheek. “You can take it back if you want.”

 

“Don't mind if I do.” Dick says before tugging his shirt upward and off of Wally who raises his arms obediently.

 

Wally watches him pull the shirt over his head, movements slower than usual. He tries to ignore the slight wince on Dick's face and smiles when Dick holds the collar up to his nose and inhales. His eyes, when they look up at him are slightly amused and gut-wrenchingly soft. “You used my body wash.”

 

Wally shrugs. “You and Arty were totally right. That Enchanted Forest stuff does smell really nice.”

 

Dick hums, then there's a hand on his chest, pushing him back down onto the pillows. Dick follows, settling down on Wally's chest with a contented sigh. Wally's hand automatically rises to rest against Dick's head, fingers burrowing gently into thick, dark hair. They stay like that for several minutes, unmoving, perfectly content to be in each other's presence. Eventually, Wally pipes up.

 

“Dude, you're kinda heavy.”

 

“Hmm”

 

“Dick, seriously, you're slowly crushing my spleen.”

 

“You don't like it, you should've stayed on your side of the bed.”

 

He's dating a giant cat, Wally thinks absently. He curls his fingers in Dick's hair and tugs insistently. “You think just because you have bruised ribs, I won't kick you right off of this bed?”

 

Dick chuckles and slowly shifts so that he's not lying directly on top of Wally. He keeps his head pillowed on his chest though, which is more than okay. Wally brushes his lips against Dick's hairline and snakes his arms around him, shifting to get closer when Dick throws a leg over him. The lamp is still on and Wally stares at the soft glow it casts on the ceiling through hooded eyes, one of his hands moving to run absently over Dick’s shoulder, down his arm, his side, stopping just above the where the tape is hiding under his shirt before going back up to do it again.

 

Dick notices him avoiding his ribs, Wally knows he does but he doesn’t say anything, just catches Wally’s hand in his and holds on. After a moment, Wally feels a kiss pressed into his sternum.

 

“When you mentioned talking to Tim, did whatever I have to talk to him about involve Bart by any chance?” Dick says casually, sleepily.

 

Well that was fast, but really he shouldn’t be surprised. Wally makes a non-committal noise. “Ask Tim.”

 

“Hmm, there’s a story here and I’m going to know it-” Dick cuts himself off with a yawn and burrows closer against Wally. “-tomorrow, after you make me breakfast.”

 

“I still find it funny that Batman probably trained you to survive in the wilderness with only a hunting knife and a bottle of water but you can't cook anything that isn't microwavable.”

 

“Shhh. Tomorrow.”

 

Dick mutters into his chest, pulling the covers up around them.

 

“Turn off the light.”

 

Wally obeys and turns his head so that his lips are lightly brushing Dick's forehead. Idly his mind wonders about how he's going to wake up in a couple of hours. Dick would probably still be in his arms, he seems exhausted tonight. Wally would most likely wake up before he does and as he closes his eyes, he pictures Dick's face in the morning light, slack with sleep. The scratch on his face would've scabbed over but it would barely make a difference, Dick would still look unfairly gorgeous. Maybe Wally would wake him up with kisses. Morning sex would be out of the question because of his ribs but they could totally get away with Wally sucking him off. He could take care of himself after, he wouldn't mind and it would most likely be too easy because just the sight of Dick panting and dazed, staring up at him through hooded eyes would be more than enough to do it for him. Maybe they'll lie in bed and cuddle for a few hours afterward, at least until they get hungry.

 

“Walls. Shhh, sleep.”

 

Wally smiles and presses a kiss into Dick's hair.

 

 _Tomorrow_. He thinks to himself before letting his eyes drift shut.

 

 

 


End file.
